Hi all (first post: go me!),
I’ve been looking at perhaps taking up flute as a second instrument, for those instances when I’m not in a blaring-electric-guitar mood.
Didnt think it would be much of an issue, after all- a flute’s a flute, isnt it? Well, thanks to the joys of the internet, I’ve saved myself the embarrasment of displaying my ignorance in public
So, are there any compilations out there to help me decide which type of flute I’m after? Or even .mp3’s. Classical would be great, as well as any traditional music. Ideally, I’d like something capable of the chromatic scale which would allow me to play pretty much anything I want, but they seem a tad too expensive at this stage(not too keen to break the £250 mark).
Thanks in advance…
…Rab.
[ This Message was edited by: ONEN on 2002-10-27 09:39 ]
Welcome, Rab.
Hope this helps (I play classical flute and Irish tin whistle).
Basically, you’ve got three choices: an unkeyed simple system (wood, usually) flute (great for traditional music), a keyed simple system flute (also great for trad, but capable of chromaticism), or a Boehm system flute (the modern -usually- silver kind, great for chromaticism, less ideal for Irish trad). Simple system flutes and Boehm flutes sound quite different. You should be able to hear some simple system flutes at http://tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/index.htm and some Boehm flutes at http://www.flutes4sale.com/instruments.shtml
Luckily (?) your budget limits your options. If you’re interested in playing Irish trad, pick up a Tony Dixon polymer flute (his 3 piece models are nice), for instance. There are some other polymer flute out there (such as Seery and M&E), but I had a Dixon at one point and thought it had exceptional bang for the buck (or for the pound, in your case). If you want a Boehm flute, Trevor James, Yamaha, and Jupiter offer consistent and well made student instruments.
Good luck!
Micah
Hi Onen, with a 250 pound budget, it won’t be too hard to decide what flute to get. Basically you’re limited to a few makers for keyless flutes, like Cronnolly, Seery, Dixon, probably Casey Burns. This might not be a bad thing, as you’ll definitely need some time to concentrate on developing an embouchure anyway. At this price range I would recommend a polymer flute.
Otherwise you might like to look into silver flutes, which are widely availible and are chromatic - you might even be able to borrow one from music organisations/people around you. Even so, you’ll still need to work on your lips and tone before you head to working on fancy fingerwork.
On compilations, I cannot think of one better than the recently released Wood Flute Obsession CD. There are many styles, tones and flutes on that CD so it would be good listening if you want to sample different kinds of Irish (and some Breton) flute music.
Cool- thanks guys! Its just an idea right now- I was going to comfort-purchase yet another guitar, but figured that a new perspective & challenge would be more worthwhile than more of the same. You never know, I might even learn something! Thanks for the links. Any more suggestions are more than welcome…
Hi Onen,
if you’re looking for a second instrument and have considered a flute you might want to consider a low whistle, It won’t cost as much, will be easier to play and if you find that you like it you can always move up to a flute as the fingering is the same. For a cheap Low D try a Dixon.
